Gig Harbor police reports for the week of Aug. 9

Home Depot employee injured by suspected thieves

July 29 — A Gig Harbor Home Depot employee attempted to stop a theft and was almost hit by a pickup in the process.

Police officers were dispatched to Home Depot on Borgen Boulevard at 11:01 a.m. for a strong-arm robbery. Officers arrived and spoke with the victim, a store employee, who witnessed the robbery and was almost hit by a fleeing vehicle.

The victim told police at 8:55 p.m. the day before he observed two men loading wood pallets from the garden shop into a white Ford truck. The employee was driving a Home Depot van and blocked the alleyway before confronting the men, according to the police report.

One of the men said they had permission to take the pallets. When the victim radioed his manager, the manager said no one gave the men permission and asked to have the men leave. The victim told the two men and offered to help them remove the pallets from the truck.

While the victim was behind the truck the two men attempted to flee while the victim was in their path. The victim told police he was hit by the driver side door and window after he “tucked and rolled” out of the way. The victim injured his wrist, groin and arm. The store manager did not call police immediately because the loss-prevention manager was not in.

Police still are investigating the case.

Contractor chases brazen lumber thief

July 29 — A contractor chased a man after catching him stealing lumber from a construction site.

Police were dispatched to a new development on Fox Court Drive at 3:47 p.m. for a theft. Officers arrived at Garrett Custom Homes and spoke with the project contractor who witnessed the theft.

The contractor said he was working in a home when a “sketchy” man drove up to a house two doors down in a white box truck. The man went into the home and quickly loaded five bundles of lumber into his truck. The contractor walked over, but the man became nervous and jumped in his truck to flee. The contractor jumped into his car and gave chase.

At one point, the thief stopped his car, got out and threw a sweatshirt over his license plate before jumping back in the truck. The man drove the truck with the cargo door open and the lumber sliding around the back. The contractor chased him to Skansie Avenue and Hunt Street Northwest before losing him.

The contractor told police he believes the thief is working on another construction site in town. The stolen lumber was valued at $750. The investigation is ongoing.

Hospital worker nearly stabbed, choked by suspect

July 31 — A Saint Anthony’s employee was nearly stabbed with a pair of scissors and was choked by a patient before wrestling the scissors from the man’s hands.

Gig Harbor police were dispatched to the hospital where they met emergency room staff at an unreported time. Staff told the police the patient was brought to the hospital the night before by Key Peninsula fire.

According to the report, the man caused a disturbance the night before at his mother’s home while hallucinating imaginary people. He assaulted his mother the night before and damaged windows before retrieving a gun and going outside his mother’s home to shoot at the imaginary people.

When the he arrived at the hospital, staff placed him in four-point restraints for the night.

The next morning an emergency room technician was asked to release the man from the restraints and watch him. The man asked the employee to come to his bed to help him. He apologized for his actions and offered to shake the employee’s hand. When the employee went to shake the man’s hand, the patient grabbed a pair of medical scissors from the employee’s pocket and attempted to stab the employee.

The patient left his bed and backed the employee into a corner where he began to choke him. The two wrestled and the employee was able to grab his scissors back and throw them into the hall to get staff attention. Other staff members entered the room and restrained the man again.

The officers attempted to talk to the patient but he refused. The employee was treated for assault, and the patient was involuntarily committed to a local psychiatric hospital.